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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · rest · bowl · season · straw · kid · stand · safe

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — in sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kid — child
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com